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Church loans often suffer from several problems, and as a result specialized business finance strategies are required. Typical church financing will involve multiple difficulties.

Church loans are probably the most difficult form of commercial financing to successfully close. Churches are an integral part of local communities, so it is necessary to improve church financing solutions. In almost all cases financing will require a very specialized commercial real estate loan that is typically not widely available.

Churches are not typical commercial enterprises but they do have substantial business financing requirements. This article will offer an overview of four key church loan financing difficulties and a listing of six practical church financing strategies.

Four Major Church Financing and Business Finance Difficulties -

Before addressing possible solutions for the most common church loan needs, it is important to discuss the typical barriers to obtaining appropriate financing. Historically church financing has been difficult to arrange for several reasons:

(1) Church Loan Obstacle Number One: Church properties are unique. Lenders are therefore concerned that if commercial loan payments are not made in a timely manner and the lender is required to assume ownership of the property, it will be very difficult to find a new owner because of the unique property features.

(2) Church Financing Difficulty Number Two: Commercial lenders usually require individual guarantors for church financing, and this is inappropriate for a church loan. The financial structure of churches simply does not lend itself to a traditional lender/guarantor approach. Many commercial lenders are not comfortable with the potential lack of individual guarantors because of the difficulty of reselling the church property if negative financial circumstances occur in the future.

It is unfortunately very common for church financing to have been secured only after church members have authorized an individual guarantee for church financing. The need for individual guarantors acts as a serious barrier first because church members might be unwilling to do so and second because there might not be individuals who have enough financial resources to provide an individual guarantee for larger church financing needs.

(3) Church Financing Difficulty Number Three: When church financing is obtained, there are frequently unacceptable business finance terms such as very small loans, low loan-to-value (LTV) of 50% to 60%, short-term loans and high interest rates. These onerous terms are tantamount to the church loan being declined, and if the terms are accepted, the church is likely to experience continuing financial difficulties due to unrealistic commercial mortgage requirements.

(4) Church Financing Difficulty Number Four: Construction, renovation and land acquisition are even more difficult for churches to finance than purchases or refinancing. As a result, needed repairs are often postponed indefinitely and new churches frequently take many years to become a reality.

Six Practical Church Loan and Commercial Mortgage Solutions -

There are common-sense financing solutions for the church loan issues described above. Here is an overview of church financing that is now available from some non-traditional lenders:

(1) Church Loan Financing Approach Number One: Non-Recourse Loans (instead of guarantors). As noted above, the willingness to forego traditional guarantors does require a non-traditional lender. With this church financing approach, church lending will not depend on individual guarantors.

(2) Church Loan Solution Number Two: Long-term business loans. Church financing will be much more successful when it is long-term instead of short-term (payments will be reduced dramatically).

(3) Church Loan Solution Number Three: Low interest rates (usually a maximum of prime plus 1-2%). In reality many churches have been taken advantage of and charged excessive interest rates because lenders perceived that they did not have any other realistic options.

With payments limited to prime plus 1-2% or less, church financing payments will be noticeably reduced. In combination with longer-term loans, the overall payment reduction will make a significant contribution to church cash flow improvements.

(4) Church Loan Solution Number Four: Church loan financing minimum of $500,000. This allows churches to complete most financing in one step rather than piecemeal over a period of years.

(5) Church Loan Solution Number Five: Higher LTV (75%-90% is possible). This results in a more workable amount of 10% to 25% (rather than 40% to 50% with traditional church financing) for the down payment or non-financed portion in refinancing.

(6) Church Loan Solution Number Six: Church financing can now include new construction, renovation, land acquisition, purchase and refinancing. Due to flexible church loan financing, it is not necessary for any of these important church loan activities to be postponed.

Collectively the six church financing solutions described above should benefit a large number of churches by allowing refinancing with much better financial terms and by facilitating the construction of new churches on an accelerated timetable. The six church loan financing approaches should result in financial covenants that will contribute to the long-term financial profile of prudent churches which adhere to the church financing approaches suggested.

Regardless of the practical business finance and commercial mortgage strategies that have been described above, it is appropriate to emphasize that arranging appropriate church financing will almost always be difficult. Due to the specialized nature of a church loan, unavoidable complications with the commercial real estate financing should be anticipated. As a result, prudent church borrowers should attempt to acquire a better understanding of these complex business loan issues.

Infrastructure development is crucial in every country that wants to escalate forward in their economic status. However, there are those that cannot afford because of the lack of resources. The World Bank, established in 1994, is such a vital spring in international business and finance that has been assisting countries all over the world.

It is not a bank, as the name suggests, but it is a global organization that is made up of two special progressive institutions. This international business and finance source consists of 184 nations together with the International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IAD).

Each has a specific responsibility supportive of its mission to alleviate poverty and lifestyle improvements. The International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (IBRD) concentrates on middle income and creditworthy poor regions while the International Development Association (IDA) is on the poorest regions in the globe. Both offers low- interest loans and interest- free credit that also provides education, health, communications and other beneficial purposes.

This international business and finance group also has its own affiliates like the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). IFC grants advisory services, loans, structured finance, equity and management products that build the private sector in developing countries. MIGA promotes global immediate investment into developing nations to assist economic growth, improve lives and reduce poverty. ICSID imparts facilities for the pacification and mediation of feuds between member countries and investors.

Some of the members of World Bank are Afghanistan, Albania, Barbuda, Belize, Chile, China, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Guinea, Germany, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia,. Korea, Kuwait, Jordan, Jamaica, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Libya, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Thailand, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, it has a total of 184; 165 for International Development Association; 178 for International Finance Corporation; 167 for Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and 143 for International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Since it is an international business and finance cooperative, the shareholders are represented by a Board of Governors. They gather every once a year at the Annual Meetings to make policies as well as discuss about the International Monetary Fund. Since their convention only happens very seldom, they delegate specific responsibilities to about 24 executive directors who work on- site at the headquarters located in Washington D.C. The biggest depositors are United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and United States who are the ones who appoint. At present, the president of World Bank is Paul Wolfowitz who holds a five- year and renewable term. He is accountable for the overall management of the organization and chairs meetings that are called for.

There are many small business owners who started their venture without any funds. To run your own business is an attractive prospect, but it is a sad fact that only a few businesses make it through the first few years of operation.

Provided that the owner developed a comprehensive business plan with a solid projected cash flow, next step would be to raise finance either by attracting investors or securing a bank loan. Depending on the needed amount, there are a few financing options available to new business start ups.

Business Credit Cards

Opening a business credit card account is probably the easiest way to gain access to a working capital. There are many banks that offer unsecured credit card account with up to $20 thousand available credit. Any larger credit amounts will need to be secured against the directors’ personal assets. Many of these cards come with an attached reward system, so spending and repaying a sizable amount every month will accumulate reward points that may prove to be useful for travel or exchange for other goods.

Business Loans

Applying for a business loan with a bank or a financial broker requires the business owner to produce a well developed business plan that includes a five year cash flow projection. The bank will assess the application and will make a value judgment whether they think the business can survive and whether the owner has what it takes to make the business work. There is nothing the owner can do apart from hoping that the business idea will work and the bank manager will see it that way too. Normally the bank will require security from the borrower – usually the owner’s personal assets. In many cases the bank will establish a “lenders covenant” and monitor the business finance making sure that the borrowed amount is never lower than an agreed percentage of the business value.

Finance Lease

Finance lease if often use to fund business capital purchases such as computer equipment and cars. In this case the financing company purchases equipment on the owner’s behalf and lets the owner use it for an agreed monthly fee. There are many types of different leasing options, so it’s best to discuss available options with hardware and equipment vendors.

Low Doc Loans

Australian financial institutions offer, what is called, a low doc loan facility to businesses that are not able to provide sufficient information to support their income. It is often useful for new business start-ups as a new business would not have enough data to produce audited financials that are required for normal business loans.

Whatever the choice may be, business finance provider must be chosen very carefully. For people who are new to running a business it is suggested to discuss the business funding with an experienced friend or a financial advisor.